The U.S. military and the government aren’t supposed to conduct surveillance of Americans on U.S. soil without a warrant or their consent.

Yet, Obama and our lawmakers cleared the way for 30 thousand drones to be used in American airspace.
WHY?
HR 658, the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, passed both the House and the Senate. It authorizes the use of 30,000 spy drones over America? Like the un-Constitutional NDAA legislation that passed in November, this bill was not widely reported by the mainstream media. The media for the most part, was once again complicit and failed miserably in its responsibility to share this information with the American people.

Try to imagine, 30-THOUSAND drones flying overhead surveilling the US. If you divide that by 50 states, that is 600 drones per state!

The biggest names in the Conservative movement, from Charles Krauthammer to Drudge are speaking out against this move, calling on the government to not only place restrictions, but BAN the use of drones in our airspace.

Krauthammer said on Fox News, “I don’t want restrictions, I want a ban on this. Drones are instruments of war. The Founders had a great aversion to any instruments of war, the use of the military inside even the United States. It didn’t like standing armies, it has all kinds of statutes of using the army in the country.”
“A drone is a high-tech version of an old army and a musket. It ought to be used in Somalia to hunt bad guys but not in America. I don’t want to see it hovering over anybody’s home. Yes, you can say we have satellites, we’ve got Google Street View and London has a camera on every street corner but that’s not an excuse to cave in on everything else and accept a society where you’re always under — being watched by the government.” ( Krauthammer on Fox News)

How are you going to feel if you happen to glance up and see one hovering over your home?
Better yet, what about the safety concerns. What are the chances of these crashing in public places and killing people? Then there is the issue of drones being used to carry out acts of terrorism.

Let’s examine the safety issue. We know a Navy drone crashed in Maryland. Then there was the first police drone in the country that crashed on its own police officers. The Montgomery County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office was the first department in the country with its own aerial drone ($300,000!) That drone crashed into a SWAT team. Fortunately the SWAT boys were safe in their Bearcat.

This is exactly why we should be asking Congress what they were thinking when they voted to allow all these drones to fly in our airspace. If one of them crashes in a populated urban area, it could be bad.. Not all of us are driving around in Bearcats

If the purpose of these drones is national security, then why does the government have the right, when these drones capture you on video, to hold on to that video for surveillance purposes for 90 days..
Where in the Constitution does it say any government agency has that right?

I can see where these eyes in the sky might be beneficial tools for the department of Homeland Security and law enforcement, however, I do not trust the Obama Administration with this power, nor do I want private companies and individuals to have this type of surveillance capability…

Police, firefighters and other civilian first-response agencies can now fly UAVs weighing no more than 4.4 pounds, provided they have an operator on the ground within line-of-sight of the drone and flying it at least 400 feet above ground.

Currently, UAVs can only fly in restricted airspace zones controlled by the U.S. military, however by May 2013, the next class of drones, those weighing less than 55 pounds, can fly the nation’s skies, according to provisions of the FAA bill passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama.

The deadline for full integration of drones into U.S. airspace is Sept. 30, 2015.
The rules about who can operate these drones, where and when they can fly are still in the development stage.

According to Nasa, there is also a number of technical hurdles that have to do with bandwidth for secure UAV radio communications and working out collision avoidance systems.

While I have nothing to hide, I have everything to lose when it comes to handing over LIBERTY to an abusive federal government headed by a leader that I believe is a hater of liberty and our Constitutional Republic…
Therefore, I am against the use of drones in our air space as well.

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joescoming

When will America grasp hold of our country and r-establish its intended Liberty’s sgtructured by tour forefather’s. We need to ring out the corrupt policies of this government and of its ever increasing controls over America. If we controlled illegal immigration, protected our boarders and stood by our Immigration quotas as the Constitution requires our government to do! We would have half the problems we are encountering right now! Big Brorther is alive and growing in America and the only ones being scrutinized looks like the “Good Guys! I mean how can we afford 600 drones and to do what? This is out of control and out of sight of the American people. Lets get Romney in, oust Obummer Husein and then start organizing a third political party in America. Possibly the “Tea Party” to re-establish our laws, constitution and culture, reduce government controls and many other areas we have been losing freedoms for decades. Now more than ever with Obummer Hussein adn his Socialist Agenda!
“Just Saying”

American Patriot

Thanks Jan
Let us know what we can do to fight this attack on our Constitution and Rights to privacy or country continues to lose Freedom and Liberty in the name of Big Government and terrorist. We were started as a Republic not a socialistic Democracy and our schools continue to get history books with the Real Original History left out or changed to some politically correct agenda to fit the offended who have come here for freedom and now want it changed to entitlement by stripping way True America and its Values. Sorry I got off corse a little we need leadership in this Battle for The Constitution of Our Christian Nation with God Given Rights, True Christians need to stand up if They are. Polls say 97% of Americans claim to be Christian but only 10% or less are True Believers Gods Word says Study and show yourself approved and this that teach tollerance do NOT tollerate Christians or practice Gods Word!
I have answered my own question! Pray and Stand Firm On HIS WORD It may require your Life for Liberty and Freedom!

Doug

And they are being built with taxpayer money. We are essentially paying to have our freedoms removed and the Constitution shredded by this administration. It is a sad day in America folks.

Hi Jan, great article. This provoked me to get a visual on what we’re talking about in terms of coverage so I’ve been gathering statistics by state, population, square miles, etc. Obviously a straight line allocation of 600 drones per state doesn’t make much sense if you’re dealing with small populous in a given state but also if you’ve got a lot of area to cover like Alaska vs DC, then you need to adjust accordingly. The question I have is what criteria are they using to allocate drones. Is it based on crime rate, population, square miles, an algorithm of all the above? 30,000 drones at X$ per drone is a lot of money, not to mention how much they cost to maintain including parts, fuel, personnel, etc. Other questions crossing my mind is; are they built to just observe or are they capable of being armed. This topic raises a lot of questions in my mind and goes well beyond invasion of privacy.

Hypothetically speaking: what happens if someone shoots one down? just asking.

Evisscerator

I DO NOT agree with the NDAA Law nor the planned use of DRONES over American Airspace, except on the border and national forests where they might be beneficial, for keeping illegals and drug lords at bay and for finding those hidden marajana farms in the thick of the national forests. I fore see a huge problem with drones over America, not only from the Constitutional grounds, but also from Rights issues. NDAA should be repealed and never again used. NAFTA/GATT should also be repealed and never again used.

I don’t know what this guy is thinking putting UAV’s over US soil without cause ii uncalled for. He should not be allowed to do anything he whats. He may be the president but is putting politics about the constitution and the amrican people. This can’t keep going on

Yes, target practice for sure! If I ever see one violating my property, liberty and/or space, you can bet I will take some practice shots at it!

Lowell

This program must be stopped before it begins. This is anti American.

Brian

Once the people are used to seeinng the small drones…. then enemy countries can coppy them and have them flying along with our drones. Or they can hack into our drones communications to their base facility. No good either way. And what about when these secretly are flying at the same altitude as a family or very important official andare all are killed because there was a secret drone flying at thw same altitude and heading? Then big brother will have to lie to cover it up and avoid lawsuits??? I see life losses and other troubles from this unconstitutional spying program.

Bill

I fly radio control airplanes. We have a 5 acre flying field and fly as high as 400 ft. We can fly much higher. I would expect these drones to avoid our airspace. Some club members do fly warbirds!

1_Eddie_1

Blind the drones with small handheld lasers. The camera’s won’t be able to see.

1_Eddie_1

Something to consider, you are responsible for every bullet that leaves your gun. What if you miss the drone while shooting at it? Where will that bullet land? Will that bullet kill an innocent? What if you are successful in shooting down the drone, and it crashes and kills someone? You will have caused that, and someone will come looking for you to hold you accountable for an innocents death. Don’t get me wrong, I’m against the use of drones. I think the best course of action is to arrest Congress for releasing this injustice upon it’s own people. Hold them accountable in a court of law.

Patriot01

I have a AR-15 .308 and a 8.5-25 X50 scope ready to see the drones over my state. Aim for the fuel section and watch em’ start dropping like flies.

Arthur Konyak

All patriots had better start hording their ammo and weapons. The drones will be watching everyone who target practices, visits gun shops, visits gun shows, and they will be keeping tabs on us. Eventually they will come for our guns; that’s when the new civil war will start.

Ray

I reposted this story on my Facebook. If the socialists of Facebook don’t like it. Then it’s too bad!

A few friends in Colorado have told me they have been Droned.Also I have read recent stories of people in New York have been Droned.It is surely catching on but do hope it does not get out of control as many things are already.If these are true I think it is a normal reaction to be slightly worried about the future.Don’t you think.

DM

What is a real course of action which can be taken by citizens who have no singular power. Signing petitions seems useless in that I see none that haven’t been ignored. NDAA seems to be the most important law we must smash right now. We must be irrestible and immovable to that end, so what is the plan?

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About Jan

Jan is an Associated Press Award Winning Veteran television journalist, now turned citizen activist for the Conservative Movement. Her Conservative voice has generated a following of over 200,000 friends and subscribers on her three Facebook pages. Read more ...